Raymond Ragnaud Millésime 1994 Cognac Grande Champagne is distilled from the 1994 harvest only and composed of Grande Champagne Cognac exclusively. Aged in French oak barrels, it expresses beautiful flavors of blond tobacco, floral aromas, spicy notes of black and grey pepper with a long finish evoking coffee. 100 % Ugni Blanc.
Officially founded in 1941, Raymond Ragnaud's origins date back to the mid-1800s, when the Ragnaud family owned a small vineyard in Grande Champagne recognized by connoisseurs as the best Cru in the Cognac region. Françoise Ragnaud-Bricq and her daughter Stéphanie perpetuate today a tradition of artisanal know-how. They supervise the harvest for the 47 hectares of vineyards (Ambleville, Criteuil and Lignières-Sonneville) and work hand in hand with the cellar master to produce unique eaux-de-vie distilled from the estate's crops.
In the 1860s, the Ragnaud family owned a small vineyard in the Grande Champagne area of Cognac, a cru not yet classified as Premier Cru but recognized by all the professionals of the time as the best Cru in the Cognac region; it was later classified as Premier Cru for its exceptional qualities.
Like today, the vineyard at that time was planted with Folle Blanche and Ugni-Blanc, a grape variety resistant to phylloxera, a deadly disease that was rampant in the Cognac vineyard.
In 1920, Paul Ragnaud settled in the Château, in Ambleville, followed in 1941 by his son Raymond who decided to create the Raymond Ragnaud brand by bottling under his name the eaux de vie he inherited.
In 1963, his wife, helped by her two children, Françoise and Jean-Marie, increased the vineyard to 47 hectares spread over 3 properties: Ambleville, Criteuil la Madeleine and Lignères-Sonneville, located on the famous limestone slopes of Grande Champagne.
For 30 years Françoise Ragnaud-Bricq, faithful to her ancestral roots, has been managing her three vineyards by perpetuating the traditions and know-how.
